Travel articles:

Los Muertos beach is at the end of the Malecon. I was there on a Sunday, and it was nuts. A bazillion local kids splashed in the water, Zumba music pouring from beneath every colorful beach umbrella. A little farther and the Latin tunes changed to disco, the male swim attire skewing toward Speedos. Gay Vallarta was in full swing.

Some trails are packed down enough that snowshoes aren’t required. Boots were enough for the East Inlet Trail near Grand Lake. However, wander off the trail a few inches and you’re up to your thighs in snow. Out by Big Meadow, my closest-ever moose sighting thrilled me. She kept chewing her leaves as I took a bazillion photos. Ah, another tourist, she said.

Heading north and a short distance inland from the coast, Lake Casitas also affords dark skies away from city lights. The recreation area has its own NASA-accredited astronomer and a large viewing telescope. Camping at the lake is one option for an overnight stay.

The species I encountered was the Galapagos shark. On my first dive, there were 50 sharks and on my second there were 27. Ramsey taught us how to swim with our snorkels amongst these amazing and peaceful creatures.

There is a wonderful intimacy about summer in Death Valley. Think of the experience of an infrared sauna–the intense dry heat of the day, taken in small doses, feels cleansing and healing. And you’ll want to experience, albeit briefly, the buzzing quiet of the desert at high noon–a time of infinite peace, when just about all living things take shelter in the shade or burrowed beneath the sand.

Here is your guide to giving back to L.A.’s increasingly popular high desert as you allow what the poet Wendell Berry called “the peace of wild things” to flow into your soul in this treasure of the American Southwest.

For a uniquely New Orleanian fitness experience, join the local “Move Ya Brass” running group for a free Monday night run, or take the beginner-friendly cardio class “Bounce Ya Brass” in Crescent Park. Local musician Robin Barnes founded the running group and Brass classes.

The galleries and quaint shops lin­ing Canyon Road, a comfortable walk from the hotel, will keep you busy all day. Cutting-edge New York–style galleries are also easily accessible in the Railroad District.

Many cultures recognize something special and mystic happening from October 31 to November 2. Some say the veil between worlds is thinnest that time of year, so that the living can visit with the dead.